How to fly the B-26

[maxum96]

Just in case anyone picks up a B-26 and wants to learn how to fly it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSIsoj1QPAc&NR=1&feature=endscreen


There's some great shots of the exterior and interior of a B-26.

[The Inspector]

Just in case anyone picks up a B-26 and wants to learn how to fly it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSIsoj1QPAc&NR=1&feature=endscreen


There's some great shots of the exterior and interior of a B-26.

and how cool to have Peter Gunn as your copilot

[Ken]

That was enjoyable & informative, thanks for sharing. Nothing like properly executing an emergency landing so that you can walk out front for a cigarette and then cruise through Ops to check out the secretaries. Harmless fun for guys putting their lives on the line.

I'll skip the commentary on the state of our nation, but I will say that the quality of this video far exceeds any of the instructional videos I received from the USAF in the past 20 or so years.

Ken

[The Inspector]

That was enjoyable & informative, thanks for sharing. Nothing like properly executing an emergency landing so that you can walk out front for a cigarette and then cruise through Ops to check out the secretaries. Harmless fun for guys putting their lives on the line.

I'll skip the commentary on the state of our nation, but I will say that the quality of this video far exceeds any of the instructional videos I received from the USAF in the past 20 or so years.

Ken

That's because most of the WW2 era training films were done @ Ft. Roach (the Hal Roach studios) in Culver City by professional movie studio people top to bottom.

[maxum96]

That was the first time I've ever seen a bomb bay fuel tank dropped in flight. Anyone have a clue as to where that was filmed? If the interior shots were done in a studio, they must of had a B-26 fuselage as that interior looked real and accurate.

[The Inspector]

[quote="maxum96"]That was the first time I've ever seen a bomb bay fuel tank dropped in flight. Anyone have a clue as to where that was filmed? If the interior shots were done in a studio, they must of had a B-26 fuselage as that interior looked real and accurate.[/quote

Easy enough to remove the windshields from what looks like an A or B short wing for 'looking aft' stuff, they were using the at the time fairly recently developed lens/technique of 'Deep Focus' so the Corporal was also in focus and not blurred. Simply remove the overhead escape hatches and shoot down for pedestal and procedures footage, the tank jettison could have been anywhere and just 'cut in' and the 'buzz numbers' painted on the prop aircraft to match footage, what surprised me was how S-L-O-W the bomb bay doors were in closing.

[maxum96]

the tank jettison could have been anywhere and just 'cut in'

I didn't write that very well in my previous post. I was wondering what base was used for the film when I asked "where that was filmed". But thanks for the other info.

[cooper9411]

How to fly the B-26? Move over and let someone else be P.I.C.?

[Chris Brame]

and how cool to have Peter Gunn as your copilot

And Gidget's father (Don Porter) as your instructor pilot

The plane they're flying, 41-17645, doesn't have any info listed under Baugher - just another training ship. Also note the blooper at 31:09 - the shadow passing over Don's face from the clapper board!

[SaxMan]

Well, now that we've watched the film, you think Kermit will let us take his B-26 out for a spin?

I think the detail of the plane that the movie shows is great. If you're restoring a warbird, the close up shots of the various details of the plane make these kinds of films an invaluable aid.

[The Inspector]

and how cool to have Peter Gunn as your copilot

And Gidget's father (Don Porter) as your instructor pilot

The plane they're flying, 41-17645, doesn't have any info listed under Baugher - just another training ship. Also note the blooper at 31:09 - the shadow passing over Don's face from the clapper board!

According to the MARTIN B-26 production list, it was l/n 304 a B-26B

[maxum96]

Gotta love the way they throw the sergeant under the bus and he loses 2 stripes and gets KP duty while the C.O. lets the pilots off with nothing more than a simple a$$ chewing even after they admit they should have been watching the fuel gauge.

[JohnB]

That's because most of the WW2 era training films were done @ Ft. Roach (the Hal Roach studios) in Culver City by professional movie studio people top to bottom.

Paul Mantz was the CO.

[maxum96]

Paul Mantz was the CO.

Not sure if you're joking or serious, but I don't think that was Mantz playing the C.O.

[The Inspector]

Paul Mantz was the CO.

Not sure if you're joking or serious, but I don't think that was Mantz playing the C.O.

Actually, Jack Warner was put in charge by Gen. Arnold. On the return flight from D.C. to L.A. Warner tasked a writer Owen Crump, who had accompanied him to see Arnold to run the studio and projects. Originally the old Vitagraph studio was used, but since Hal Roach studios were closed due to Roach being in the Army in New York they took over Roach Studos and the sound stages and facilities located there and Warner went back to running Warner Bros.